Inorganic analytical techniques are used to identify, quantify, and study inorganic substances such as metals, minerals, salts, and coordination compounds. These techniques have a wide range of real-world applications across industries, medicine, environment, and research. Here are some key applications:
1. Environmental Monitoring
- Water quality analysis – Detecting heavy metals (Pb, Hg, As, Cd) and toxic ions in drinking water.
- Air pollution monitoring – Measuring particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and metal pollutants.
- Soil testing – Identifying nutrient composition (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and contamination by industrial effluents.
2. Medical and Biological Applications
- Clinical diagnostics – Determining trace elements like iron, copper, and zinc in blood and tissues.
- Drug analysis – Quality control of inorganic salts used in medicines (e.g., NaCl, MgSO₄).
- Biomarker detection – Analyzing metal ions linked to diseases (e.g., iron in anemia, copper in Wilson’s disease).
3. Industrial Applications
- Metallurgy – Determining purity of metals and alloys (steel, aluminum, titanium).
- Semiconductor industry – Detecting trace metal impurities in silicon wafers.
- Cement and ceramics – Quality testing for oxides like CaO, SiO₂, and Al₂O₃.
4. Agriculture and Food Industry
- Fertilizer analysis – Measuring essential nutrients (N, P, K, S) in fertilizers.
- Food safety – Detecting heavy metals in food products (e.g., lead in spices, arsenic in rice).
- Fortification studies – Monitoring minerals (Fe, Zn, Ca) added to foods.
5. Forensic Science
- Crime investigations – Identifying gunshot residues (Pb, Ba, Sb) using atomic absorption or ICP-MS.
- Poison detection – Tracing toxic inorganic compounds in biological samples.
- Explosive analysis – Determining inorganic oxidizers like nitrates, chlorates, and perchlorates.
6. Energy and Materials Research
- Battery materials – Analysis of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese in rechargeable batteries.
- Nuclear industry – Monitoring uranium, thorium, and actinides in nuclear fuel.
- Catalyst testing – Characterizing metal catalysts in petrochemical industries.
7. Geology and Mining
- Ore analysis – Identifying metal contents in ores (iron, copper, gold).
- Mineral exploration – Geochemical surveys using ICP-MS or XRF.
- Isotope studies – Tracing geological processes with isotopic ratios.
In short: Inorganic analytical techniques are vital for quality control, safety, environmental protection, resource exploration, healthcare, and advanced materials research.